Beverage container and valve for a beverage container

Abstract

Beverage container (1) and valve (6) for a beverage container. Beverage container (1), comprising a body (2) and a neck (3), wherein at the neck (3) a valve (6) is provided for dispensing a beverage comprising gas from the container (1), wherein an inner surface part (21) of the container (1) adjacent the valve (6), especially an inner surface part of the container within the neck between the body and an inlet side (8) of the valve (6) is smooth and sloping towards the inlet side of the valve, such that foam is prevented from being trapped at the inner surface of the neck (3).

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A beverage container, comprising a body, a neck, and a valve for dispensing a beverage comprising gas from the beverage container, wherein an inner surface part of the beverage container directly adjacent to the valve is smooth and sloping towards an inlet side of the valve, such that foam is prevented from being trapped at the inner surface part of the beverage container, wherein the valve comprises a substantially truncated cone shaped inner surface part, extending around a valve housing of the valve, such that a first end of the substantially truncated cone shaped surface part, furthest from the body, is closer to the valve housing of the valve than an opposite second end, whereas the inlet side of the valve comprises at least one opening extending through said valve housing, adjacent said first end of the substantially truncated cone shaped surface part. 
     
     
       2. The beverage container according to  claim 1 , wherein the body is provided with a stand support opposite the neck, and wherein the inlet side of the valve is directly open towards an inner volume of the beverage container. 
     
     
       3. The beverage container according to  claim 1 , wherein the inner surface part is sloping towards an end of the inlet side of the valve opposite the body. 
     
     
       4. The beverage container according to  claim 1 , wherein the inner surface is sloping upward towards the inlet side of the valve, and wherein the beverage container is filled with a beverage comprising gas to a level above a lower end of said inner surface part. 
     
     
       5. The beverage container according to  claim 4 , wherein the beverage is a carbonated beverage. 
     
     
       6. The beverage container according to  claim 1 , wherein the beverage container is compressible for pressurizing the beverage in the beverage container by reducing an inner volume of the beverage container. 
     
     
       7. The beverage container according to  claim 6 , wherein the beverage container is an inner container of a bag-in-container or bag-in-bottle type container. 
     
     
       8. The beverage container according to  claim 1 , wherein the inner surface part is substantially free of crevices having a general direction different from towards an inlet side of the valve. 
     
     
       9. The beverage container according to  claim 1 , wherein the inner surface part is substantially free of crevices having a width larger than about 0.2 mm. 
     
     
       10. The beverage container according to  claim 1 , wherein the valve is mounted in the neck or in a mounting ring provided at the neck of the beverage container, wherein the valve is mounted by a snap-fit in a mounting opening in the neck or the mounting ring. 
     
     
       11. The beverage container according to  claim 1 , wherein the valve is provided with a safety element, which in the beverage container, catches the valve when being expelled by pressure in the beverage container. 
     
     
       12. The beverage container according to  claim 1 , wherein the inner surface part of the beverage container lies between the body and an inlet side of the valve. 
     
     
       13. The beverage container according to  claim 1 , wherein a riser pipe is not connected to the beverage valve. 
     
     
       14. A beverage container, comprising a body, a neck, and a valve for dispensing a beverage comprising gas from the beverage container, wherein an inner surface part of the beverage container directly adjacent to the valve is smooth and sloping towards an inlet side of the valve, such that foam is prevented from being trapped at the inner surface part of the beverage container, wherein the valve is mounted in a mounting ring that is mounted to the neck, wherein the valve comprises a peripheral wall portion with at least one opening that is a through hole in the peripheral wall portion forming an inlet of the inlet side of the valve, the at least one opening extending from adjacent an upper end of said wall portion in the direction of the body of the beverage container. 
     
     
       15. The beverage container according to  claim 14 , wherein the at least one opening is elongated in said direction of the body. 
     
     
       16. A beverage container, comprising a body, a neck, and a valve for dispensing a beverage comprising gas from the beverage container, wherein an inner surface part of the beverage container adjacent the valve is smooth and sloping towards an inlet side of the valve, such that foam is prevented from being trapped at the inner surface part of the beverage container, wherein the valve comprises a snap ring or a snap skirt, comprising a series of resilient snap fingers, which the series of resilient snap fingers have or define a free edge, rounded such that said edge forms a substantially smooth transition to the or a further inner surface part when the valve is snap fit into a mounting opening of the neck or of a mounting ring mounted at the neck. 
     
     
       17. The beverage container according to  claim 16 , wherein at said transition no crevice is present having a width larger than about 0.2 mm. 
     
     
       18. The beverage container according to  claim 16 , wherein the series of resilient snap fingers are connected to a base element of the valve at an end opposite the free end. 
     
     
       19. The beverage container according to  claim 18 , wherein between adjacent fingers is a gap, having an end at the side of the base element sloping towards an inlet side of the valve. 
     
     
       20. A beverage container, comprising a body, a neck, and a valve for dispensing a beverage comprising gas from the beverage container, wherein an inner surface part of the beverage container directly adjacent to the valve is smooth and sloping towards an inlet side of the valve, such that foam is prevented from being trapped at the inner surface part of the beverage container, wherein the valve comprises a base element and snap fingers extending therefrom, positioned around an opening through the base element, wherein between the fingers a valve housing is provided, having at least one inlet opening and a spring loaded valve body, biased towards the base element and closing off the opening, wherein the valve body is operable through the opening for opening a fluid connection between the at least one inlet opening and the opening in the base element. 
     
     
       21. A beverage valve, comprising a base element and a snap ring or snap fingers extending therefrom, positioned around an opening through the base element, wherein within the snap ring or between the snap fingers is a valve housing having at least one inlet opening and a spring loaded valve body, biased towards the base element and closing off the opening, wherein the valve body is operable through the opening for opening a fluid connection between the at least one inlet opening and the opening in the base element, wherein an anchoring element is connected to the beverage valve, which in at least one direction perpendicular to a direction of movement of the spring loaded valve body within the housing is wider than the base element. 
     
     
       22. The beverage valve according to  claim 21 , wherein the valve housing is snap fit into the base element. 
     
     
       23. The beverage valve according to  claim 21 , wherein the base element with the snap ring or snap fingers the valve body and the valve housing are made of plastic. 
     
     
       24. A beverage valve assembly, comprising a mounting ring and the beverage valve according to  claim 21 , for mounting in an opening in said mounting ring. 
     
     
       25. The beverage valve according to  claim 21 , wherein the anchoring element is connected to the valve housing. 
     
     
       26. The beverage valve of  claim 21 , wherein a riser pipe is not connected to the beverage valve. 
     
     
       27. A beverage valve assembly, comprising a mounting ring and a beverage valve, for mounting in an opening in said mounting ring, the beverage valve comprising a base element and a snap ring or snap fingers extending therefrom, positioned around an opening through the base element, wherein within the snap ring or between the snap fingers is a valve housing having at least one inlet opening and a spring loaded valve body, biased towards the base element and closing off the opening, wherein the valve body is operable through the opening for opening a fluid connection between the at least one inlet opening and the opening in the base element, wherein the mounting ring comprises an opening having axially opposite peripheral edges and with a snap provision for cooperating with the snap fingers or snap ring of the beverage valve, wherein the snap ring or snap fingers have an end or ends opposite the base element that are rounded, such that when the beverage valve is snap fit in said opening, said rounded end or ends form a smooth transition from an inward facing surface of the ring and a surface part of the beverage valve formed by said rounded end or ends. 
     
     
       28. A beverage container, comprising a body, a neck, and a valve for dispensing a beverage comprising gas from the beverage container, wherein an inner surface part of the beverage container adjacent the valve is smooth and sloping towards an inlet side of the valve, such that foam is prevented from being trapped at the inner surface part of the beverage container, wherein the valve comprises a base element and snap fingers extending therefrom, positioned around an opening through the base element, wherein between the fingers a valve housing is provided, having at least one inlet opening and a spring loaded valve body, biased towards the base element and closing off the opening, wherein the valve body is operable through the opening for opening a fluid connection between the at least one inlet opening and the opening in the base element, wherein the valve housing is snap fit into the base element.